The Fargo Project

In 2010 the City of Fargo partnered with the renowned ecological artist Jackie Brookner. She interviewed community members and identified stormwater ponds as natural resources that could be transformed by involving the surrounding community in creative placemaking.

The pilot project at Rabanus Park also was initiated to demonstrate how local governments could actively involve residents in the planning and design process of projects.

Brookner, who lived in New York state, facilitated the initial planning and collaboration. After Brookner’s death in 2015, local leaders managed the project as it moved into the construction phase. However, the team needed assistance to coordinate communication among its various stakeholders and partners, which grew to more than 50. The leadership team also needed help with event and volunteer coordination.

Reach Partners filled this role in July 2015.

“Clear communication is crucial when a project is moving forward and there are lots of different stakeholders and participants,” says Nicole Crutchfield, city of Fargo. “Thanks to Reach Partners, everybody on the planning team and advisory committee understands what’s happening and when. Rachel has become integral with the overall project management structure, helping the team strategize and achieve project outcomes. We’ve also been able to keep our other partners and the general public creatively engaged as the project progresses.”

Reach Partners’ work is ongoing.

Rachel attends a weekly project meeting to foster communication between the various partners. Reach Partners maintains a weekly blog and monthly newsletter with project updates and context. We maintain an archive of project photos and have assisted with the coordination of video projects. We’ve also helped partners coordinate volunteers for various events.